


Sending you forget me nots (to help me to remember).

by Gay5sos



Category: 5 Seconds of Summer (Band)
Genre: Bakery!AU, Fluff, Lashton - Freeform, M/M, Malum if you squint
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-02
Updated: 2014-11-02
Packaged: 2018-02-23 14:26:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,778
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2550872
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gay5sos/pseuds/Gay5sos
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Waking up to a text from Calum at 7 in the morning was not ideal. The fact that all it said was 'Don't forget the cake!' wasn't great either, because Luke had no idea what that even meant.</p><p>[A bakery AU for your Lashton souls.]</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sending you forget me nots (to help me to remember).

**Author's Note:**

> this is short, but its to remind you all that im not dead! also, im a little out of practise, so go easy on me!!  
> also!! my tumblr is ashthighs now, not gay5sos

Waking up to a text from Calum at 7 in the morning was not ideal. The fact that all it said was ' _Don't forget the cake!_ 'wasn't great either, because Luke had no idea what that even meant. Rolling out of a bed that was too large for his liking **,** Luke stepped over a pile of used shirts (some of which, he didn't even remember wearing) and trudged into the kitchen of his apartment, planning to make some cereal. A green sticky note on the front of the press caught his eye.

**Work times: 6am-4:30pm (me) 8am-6pm (you)**

He understood that he had work at the music store from 8 to 6, but he didn't know what the first part meant. There were a few others around, as well.

Things like **Plates are in the third press to the right! :-)**  and **Don't forget to buy milk on the way home!**

They were quite useful as well, although he didn't quite remember where they came from.

 

Arriving at the music shop, the first thing he asked Calum was

"What's the cake for?"

Calum only blinked at him, and cocked his head.

"You mean _who_."

Luke huffed a sigh and rolled his eyes. "Okay then. _Who_ 's the cake for?"

Calum's mouth momentarily formed a small 'o' shape, but then split into a grin.

"It's an early anniversary present for Mike. He always suspects the surprise every year but I'm gonna make sure he doesn't this time by giving it to him early."

"Why do I have to pick it up?" Luke said, exasperated.

"Well I have this... thing... today, so I won't have time to pick it up at 4. But here—" Luke watched as he rummaged in his pocket for a moment, before scrambling to find a pen and writing down the shop address— "just tell the guy my name and he'll know what to do."

"Wait but how am I gonna get it to yo—" but Calum was already gone, speeding off to the back room, barely yelling a "thanks Lukey you're the best!"

 

Surprisingly, the manager of the store let him off early once he mentioned it to her. ("Oh? Well we wouldn't want to spoil Calum's surprise then, would we?") So at 4pm Luke followed the address on the crumpled paper, and ended up outside of a small corner bakery. As he opened the door and stepped inside, a small bell overhead dinged, and the overwhelming aroma of freshly-baked bread and cakes filled his nostrils.

"Just a second!" a voice called from the kitchen and Luke hovered awkwardly until someone emerged behind the counter.

Eventually, someone did, and that someone was a tall (but not taller than him) boy, with shaggy blonde hair, and thick-rimmed glasses.

"Oh! Hey!" his face lit up immediately as he saw Luke, and he leaned over the counter. He had deep dimples piercing his cheeks, and his hazel-green eyes glinted behind the glass.

Luke had to check behind him to make sure that it was, in fact, him being greeted so enthusiastically. It was. There was no one else in the store except for them, as far as he could see.

"...Uh...hello?." he said hesitantly, and watched as the boy's face fell, immediately frowning. Luke's heart immediately began to race. _Oh god his awkwardness was really getting so out of hand that he was literally offending people with it._

"I-I'm sorry about that." the boy's smile was back, but it was less genuine now, and more professional. "What can I get for you today?"

Luke swallowed thickly. "I'm here for a cake."

Glasses giggled and raised his eyebrows. "Well duh. This is a bakery."

Luke inwardly (and outwardly, too, he was pretty sure) cringed, and he felt the blood rise to his cheeks.

"I know— I mean, like, a specific cake. I'm here to pick up Calum Hood's order."

The boy's eyes glanced behind him into the kitchen, and a small 'oh' left his mouth.

"A-actually, it's not quite ready yet. There was a bit of a delay, but if you would just wait here for a bit, I'll get Patsy to add the finishing touches to it."

Luke just nodded awkwardly, and stood by while Glasses lifted a plastic chair over the counter, and left for the kitchen momentarily, presumably asking whoever Patsy was to finish the cake.

As they waited, the boy began to speak about his day. He talked about the pink wedding cake he'd rushed to finish this morning, and the man who picked up his order and dropped it as soon as he left the shop, and the old woman who always came in to buy the day-old unsold bread to feed the ducks. Luke wasn't really sure when he began to tune out, but soon Glasses was calling his name.

"Luke? Luke! Earth to space cadet!"

"Oh..sorry... it's been a stressful day." then something dawned on him. "How did you know my name?"

Glasses visibly froze, but then pointed towards Luke's shirt. He looked down, and surely enough, there it was; his name scribbled across the name-tag that was pinned to his work shirt. In return, he squinted to see the one on the other boy's tag. He seemed to notice, and began to wring his hands.

"I'm Ashton Irwin." he said, extending a hand towards Luke.

"I'm Luke Hemmings. But you already knew that." he smiled and took the large hand and shook.

"Yeah." Ashton chuckled softly. "Yeah I did."

As Luke pulled his hand back, he noticed a long white line running from the back of Ashton's hand, all the way up to his elbow. The baker seemed to notice and retracted his hand quickly, gently thumbing at the scar.

"I was in a car accident a few months ago."

"Oh?"

"Yeah it was dumb... we almost hit a dog and ended up driving into a tree. 'M just glad no one lost a limb."

Luke was silent for a moment. He wasn't sure what to say, only

"I was in a car accident too!" he announced, a little too loudly. Ashton's head snapped up, a little taken back by his outburst.

"O-oh really?"

"Yeah... the details are all a little bit fuzzy. But yeah." his face felt a bit hot as he realised he didn't know what to say after that.

"Well, at least you're in one piece." Ashton chuckled, and butterflies began to flutter around in Luke's stomach, because _his laugh was kind of beautiful_.

They continued chatting like that for a while, until Ashton went to check on the cake, and emerged from kitchen with a large white box.

"Now be gentle with this, because it has buttercream icing and will probably smudge all over the place if it move around a lot." Ashton smiled gently, handing it to him. Luke noticed now it was shaking slightly. "It's my favourite, actually."

He doesn't know why he did it. It was just something about Ashton—they way he carried himself, like how gentle he was, or how he made sure Luke knew his awkwardness was accepted, or just how speaking to him felt like coming home. So he did.

"Um... when you finish your shift... do you maybe wanna go for coffee with me?" he stumbled over his words, staring at the tiled floor.

A few seconds passed, then a few more, and a few more, and Ashton was still silent. Eventually, Luke gathered all of his courage and looked up. What he saw was extremely distressing. Ashton was staring at him with wide, watery eyes, mouth ajar.

"O-oh my god, I'm sorry, that was probably way outta line." was Luke's pathetic attempt at an apology.

"No!" Ashton squeaked. "I-it's fine. I appreciate it, but..." he held his left hand up, and on the second last freakishly-long finger, was a golden band. A ring. "...I'm already married. Today's our anniversary, actually."

Luke could honestly slap his own face. He would have, if there wasn't a cakebox in his hand.

"I am such an idiot, oh my god. Okay, I'm just gonna go. I'm so sorry, again. Thanks for the cake." as he turned to leave, a wavering voice called out to him again. As he swivelled around again, face probably the equivalent of a sad tomato, Ashton was staring at him, eyes welling up. He didn't say a word.

"Did I forget something?" Luke swallowed thickly. "I'm really sorry if I did. Things just get kinda... muddled up sometimes. It started after that accident I was telling you about, and... I don't know... sometimes I forget important things, so if I did, please don't sugarcoat it."

The tears in Ashton's eyes began to spill over onto his red cheeks, but he still refused to cry.

"You... you forgot to pay." he smiled weakly through watery eyes, and then called towards the kitchen.

"Patsy? Can you... can you take over here, I need a break." and with that, he fled the shop, bell dinging as the door flew open and slammed, leaving Luke standing there in a daze.

As a short, stout woman in a hairnet waddled out from the kitchen to the till, he pulled his wallet out to pay quickly, but as he did so, he noticed something tucked into one of the pockets. A small, gold object. Upon further inspection, he realised it was a ring.

A bed that was too big for just one person. Funny little reminders stuck around the house. Two toothbrushes at the sink. Crumpled shirts on the ground that he'd never worn.

 _Don't forget_.

Laughter after dark. Dancing in the kitchen at 2 am. Stealing kisses in public, even though people stared.

 _Don't ever forget_.

Arguing over stupid, small things. Laughing about it later. Tangled legs. Sharing heat under the covers.

 _Don't do this to him again. It's been months. Don't forget again_.

Driving too fast. Car swerving. Screaming out. Ashton.

_Don't forget. Don't forget. **Don't forget.**_

Matching rings. One tucked away for safety.

_"Don't forget. I love you."_

Throwing his money on the counter, along with the cake, Luke raced outside, and down the empty street. He ran, and ran, and ran, until he reached his—their— home, and wrapped his arms around the shaking, curled-up figure that occupied the couch.

"Ashton, Ashton, Ashton." he whispered into the blonde mop, as if committing it to memory. "I'm so sorry, I remember now."

Ashton just clings to him, and eventually lets himself go, loud sobs spilling out of his mouth, burying his nose deep into Luke's neck, hands grasping at his back, keeping him close.

_Don't forget Ashton._

"Happy anniversary."

**Author's Note:**

> yes yes, i know im a piece of shit. okay for anyone who didnt understand:  
> • luke has short term memory loss from the accident  
> • which means sometimes he wakes up and doesnt remember certain things  
> • in most cases, its ashton  
> • and its strongly implied that this has happened before  
> • :)


End file.
